Bank Holidaying

Oops I’m a bit late with this one.

Ahh bank Holidays how I love them, especially the confusion caused by the extra day off. On Monday I thought it was Sunday and was wondering why the chart show wasn’t on the radio on my drive home. Today I think it’s Wednesday so will probably be very confused all day.

On Friday Spex came up from Pompey and I cooked us a curry. Bob worked late so we headed out without him to the Dragon in the Tything. We chatted away about girls for a good half hour before KP and Dev arrived, stupid conversations ensued as they always do. Then eventually Bob arrived. We then wandered into town and went to Hero’s for a quick one before coming home via the chip shop. There were no stupid drunken idiots outside Tramps which our usual entertainment whilst eating out chips so we walked home.

Next day we all became experts in Taekwondo when Sarah Stevenson lost her bout in the quarter finals even though she blatantly kicked that bird in the face. We were gripped as some Swiss guy in a blue blazer announced to the world, (in English) that actually the Chinese chick hadn’t won and Sarah had so she would be in the semi final. It then took a good 20 minutes before they decided to announce the news in Chinese literally seconds before Sarah and her opponent walked on. Terrible timing, the majority Chinese crowd basically turned on Sarah even though it was the referee and judges fault. Well she lost but went on to win a bronze so well done.

After that excitement we decided we better give the Olympics a rest or we may just explode with the excitement. Spex went off to meet Dev to go for a bike ride and I went for a 10km run. Then Bob and I packed our stuff up drove to the train station to pick up Mikey before driving up to Cleobury Mortimer for Sam’s 30th birthday barbeque bonanza. It was like a mini festival with the PWEI tent putting in an appearance. This is an ex military tent that sleeps 17 that Bob, Sam, Ben, Gaz and Danny all own between them. It used to get taken to festivals with them back in the day to be used as their living room. The little paintings on the side of then tent are a complete time capsule with Chef from South Park, Bart Simpson and PWEI, (Pop will eat itself). It is amazing how many people who didn’t know any of the lads back then remember the tent from Reading and Glasto. Anyway the barbequing and cider drinking started and so did the tunes. Gradually more people arrived and there was more demand for food. Danny and I took our normal roles behind the Bbq, him bantering with the people and myself making sure stuff was cooked. We stayed there most of the evening re laying the BBQ about 3 times.

At about midnight Ben, Jen, myself, Bob and Parkers parents went back to chez Parker to have a cup of tea then talk some random rubbish. Everyone went to bed apart form Bob, myself and Steve Parker, Chris then arrive home too and we all retired to bed. The next morning Mrs Parker cooked us nice breakfast then Bob and I said our goodbyes before shooting off to meet Spex, KP and Dev at the cricket. Worcester against Durham. It was pants. As we watched we noticed a steady stream of people crossing on front of us carrying trays of tea and cake. I’m not a big fan of cake but the others were getting very excited about the prospect of cake so KP and I were sent in search of the source. We had a bit of a wander around but couldn’t find where the cake was coming from so I asked a guy in a high viz vest. He just said “cake? what sort of cake? where did they get it from?” No mate that’s what I asked you. Another chap overheard the con flab and pointed us in the direction of the ladies enclosure, (that sounds really rude to me). On our way we discovered you had to be a member to enter the ladies enclosure even for cake buying purposes. I accused some official of being non memberist and walked off. So we returned cakeless and everyone was very upset including the comedy brummies who were sat in front of us.

Anyway that aside, Worcester were atrocious but I didn’t desert the sinking ship. I stayed until then end unlike a lot of the other spectators. The Brummies shouted at the leavers about deserting and they should be shot. They also shouted at the oldies saying it was the quickest they had seen them move all day. Worcester lost by 8 wickets, that was £16 well spent. We wandered into the town and went to Pizza express to drown our sorrows before Dev drove us all to the Crown at Hallow where Bob and I had a drink before walking home. Bob had to be up early to go to work so wasn’t in the mood for a late one.

Next day I drove over to my folks place then we went to Weobley’s annual Art exhibition at the village hall where we met my aunty, uncle and my cousin Kev and his lady Olwyn. I hadn’t seen my uncle for a few weeks, he looked less than good. I didn’t think it was possible for him to lose any more weight but he has and has now turned a strange greyish colour. He wasn’t very comfortable in the village hall so went out and sat in the car. After a bit I took him back to my parents whilst Kev, Ollie and Margaret went to the churchyard to visit Steve. Now his mind is still with it and his sense of humour beams through sometimes but he just looks so sad. Like a person would I suppose if they know they are dying. I do wonder what he must be thinking. It’s so different the way it has taken him compared to Steve. Steve was terminally ill but not really showing any signs of it until about 6 weeks before he went. Then the pressure building in his head as his tumour grew started to push on parts of his brain and make his reactions slower. He stopped talking and sometimes would just stare through you as if there was no recognition. When he went to the hospice this just became the normal behaviour, until the last night I saw him awake. I was just off home and had been talking to him about the football. Liverpool had been playing really well in the UEFA cup and in the Worthless cup. Anyway I got up to go home, turned gave him a hug and waved, he started at me blankly but his hand went up and he waved back. This was the first time I had a response from him for days. Next morning when I got there he was unconscious and 3 days later he died. Comparatively Roy has been ill for so long and because it is ever part of him apart form his brain that is affected he is just in pain. The brain can only take a certain amount before it shuts down and you become unconscious, well actually that could have been the huge amounts of morphine.

Anyway they all came back from the churchyard and we had a nice dinner and then they all disappeared off home. Kev and Ollie went back to Northern Ireland that evening. I will just mention that my cousin Kev is sort of my surrogate brother, well even before my actual brother died we had been close. Probably because I had a bit more in common with Kev, he is the only one in the entire family that looks remotely like me. He is always there for me and I know that but I suspect I am going to have to be there for him in the very near future.

17 and counting.

I forgot to write about those chicks (Kerry-ann Payne and Cassie Patten), yesterday that got silver and bronze in the 10 km swim. It didn’t sink in until today how far a 10 km swim is, well obviously it’s 10,000 metres but swimming it must be absolutely exhausting. And well done to David Davies who got silver in the mens 10km swim. I’m glad to see there is life after Midlands Today and working for the FA.

I was worried this morning when there was no mention of Shaneze Reade on the radio but it turns out the semis of the BMXing have been postponed because of heavy rain. The heavy rain issue they have been having in China has actually reassured me about the London games. I’m glad it’s not just the Uk that has to deal with rubbish summer weather. I heard last night that’ll the UK will be spenoidng less than half the amount China has on the Olympics. This I think is a good thing. China had something to prove and wanted to show the west how lovely they were and not at all an oversized dictatorship with a terrible human rights record. The Olympic stadium in London will apparently have a 25,000 capacity, (I think the Chinese one is 75,000). But London already has loads of staiums, (stadi?? what’s the plural?) so there was no point building another Wembliesk stadium. Let’s face it in 4 years time everyone will want to go and watch the rowing, sailiing and cycling after the amount of medals we got this year so i don’t think the capacity of the main stadium will be an issue.

Anyway….Phillips Idowu is going to be jumping in a bit so I must nip out and get a sarnie for my lunch and then I’ll settle down and watch a bit of the triple jump in my lunch hour.

What am I going to do when the Olympics finish, I can’t remember what life was like pre-olympics. Ahh yes that’s it, I lived in a country of sporting misfits who’s speciality is snatching a loss from the jaws of victory. Glad to see the football team haven’t been caught up in the olympic spirit of things. If they start playing well I’ll have to make the effort to watch them.

Synchronised swimming

Strange plastic faced freaks!!

I’m assuming they look all shiny coz of waterproof make-up or something.
This is one of the sports at the Olympics I just don’t get at all. I don’t like any sport that has to be judged by someone else sureley that’s a competition not a sport?! It includes gymnastics and diving too. I’m certainly no expert but Tweddle looked much better in her bars final than two of the others that finished above her but as they were either nice and petite or long and graceful she just didn’t stand a chance. Judging is so flipping subjective. There needs to be some sort of machine introduced to judge. I reckon Cranfiled Uni could make one and add it to their list of almost usless inventions, (the artifcial nose to work out which is the smelliest cheese in the world was invented whilst I was there)

Anyway, the medal haul has slowed down, 2 bronze and a silver overnight. Shaneze should hopefully win her medal tonight I think, (as in early hours of the morning). She had a bit of a nasty tipper in the first round but came out the second time and nailed it, apparently she was being very cautious the second ime to make sure she didn’t come a cropper again. She qualified in second place!! Not sure when the triple jump final is, it could be tonight also. Come on Phillips you can do it! We also have a chance in the 4×400m womens relay.

Sleepless in Worcester

On Friday night Bob, Dev, May-Z and myself headed over to Worcester 9th and 3/4 beer festival. As predicted it was very busy but as I had the foresight to purchase some tickets before we sailed passed the massive queue and got drinking. I headed straight over to the Cider and Perry section, which gets bigger every year. This year it has it’s own little extension where the rest of the cider lovers had congregated. I only had a couple of pints all together, which I think was wise as I still had the remains of my cold and the cider was at least 6%.

Inside the tent was a bit of a nightmare. Worcester racecourse isn’t known for it’s fabulous drainage but it was really manky and muddy. Loads of boards had been put down on the ground but that didn’t stop some tremendous tippers into muddy puddles. I saw one chap fall off his bench backwards straight into one, how embarrassing. There was lots of nonsense talked. I got introduced to Shane who Dev lives with. I was expecting him to be roughly the same age as Dev but he isn’t, he’s about 50. Anyway, his mate is a optician so I terrorised him the rest of the evening about laser eye surgery. Apparently I shouldn’t have it done. Anyway at 11 Bob and I called it a day and trundled home, flipping cold.

Next morning I was up nice and early to lounge around and watch team GB win loads of medals. Well done. Especially the men’s 4’s rowers. Oh my god you left it late, I almost had a flipping heart attack. The look on the blonde barnetted dude as they came across the line explained it all. He looked like he was about to keel over with the exhaustion but managed to throw his arms in the air before having a good old wheeze. And the swimmer chick Adlington, you rock as do the sailors. But I love the cycling the most and there was more medals to come on Sunday too, (and I think today at 9:30). We temporarily shot up to 3rd in the medal table, (I don’t mean to put a downer on it but really is all downhill from here, we have medal chances in the triple jump and BMX but that might be it). Bob and I watched the 100 m world record being broken by Bolt, he could have so shaved a bit more time off it if he had waited until he had crossed the line before starting to celebrate. Anyway, he seems really nice unlike most male sprinters who are so flipping arrogant and agressive. I loved the way he just bounced around the stadium for a good ten minutes.

We didn’t do much the rest of the weekend except a spot of DIY and lounging watching more Olympics. We nipped out for din dins last night to the Crown. Unfortunately I had an attack of insomnia last night, well at least I had something to watch on TV. I saw all of the women’s triathlon. There was quite a dramatic crash in the cycle race and 2 of the chicks went straight over the handle bars of their bikes. Nasty. The British chick was leading the bikes then came 23rd I think, doh! If I get another attack on the dreaded insomnia tonight I have the men’s to watch, it’s on at 1:50 in case you happen to be up.

Right, I’m off for a nap under my desk.

Music is great

Two blogs in quick succession ey? I must be bored. Well actually no. I’m at work making a nice model of a river in Wales whilst listening to my Pod and I felt the need to quickly type a message about certain songs. You know those tunes that come on the radio or on your MP3 player when it’s on shuffle, (the effect seems to be greater if the tunes takes you by surprise and you haven’t intentionally put it on). Anyway, you’re sat there and on comes this tune that just makes all the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It just happened when Life on Mars by David Bowie came on. One of the songs that has the most extreme effect is Pavarotti singing Nesum Dorma.

Maybe this is the sign of somebody who likes music a bit too much. Most people have their moment when it comes to tunes and generally get stuck there, normally the stuff that’s about when you are about 14 – 20. But then there is a certain type of person that keeps demanding new tunes whilst also hunting back through history for stuff they like that wasn’t ‘their time’ at all. They want the hair standing on end moment coupled with that little shiver. Maybe it’s an addiction. I know quite a few of my mates get it. It may also explain why I am generally the oldest person at the gigs I go to. Don’t get stuck in a time or genre, listen to everything you possibly can, you don’t have to like it all. Then you can get drunk and have amazing arguments with your friends about stupid stuff like who should be in the lead guitarist hall of fame, (it is coming soon I just need to finish writing it, suggestions still being received).

Beer and snot

I’m actually feeling much better today. My muscles are still quite sore but I’ll cope. I haven’t had a cold like that for a long time. I haven’t been for a run for 8 days!! That’s making me quite grumpy, I’m sure I can feel the fat start to develop in my arteries. Not that I have any sort of exercise addiction. Well actually of course I do but it’s a million times healthier than my previous way of controlling my weight.

Anyway, Bob, Dev, May Z, myself and possibly Spex and an Aussie dude I have never met are going to Worcester Beer festival tonight. It is being advertised as the 9th and a quarter beer festival after last years got cancelled due to the slight issue of rotting fish. I better explain that. Obviously Worcester got flooded in July last year including the racecourse. Well the waters receded very slowly and had gone by the second week in August but left a layer of silt containing all sorts of nasties, (including sewage) and a load of dead fish. The grass was also starting to rot. The result was that the racecourse smelt really bad for ages and the beer festival couldn’t take place. I reckon it’ll be very busy there tonight as the Worcesterites show how much they missed it, and also as it’s supposed to be a nice day today and awful the rest of the weekend.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to drinking random cider; I hope Dunkertons are there. MMm. Not too much though, I want to go for a run on Saturday morning. Well maybe.

Sushi and wood turning

I’m off sick today so thought I would take the opportunity to tell you what I got up to at the weekend.
I had an unexpectadly nice weekend. On Friday myself, Bob and Phil went out for a couple of drinks. I ended up having a good old sing to the jukebox in the Swan whilst Bob got hammered. We had been to the Hat for a couple before the Swan and Bob had been drinking strong Austrian Beer which had got him really drunk without him realising. Anyway, on the way home he proceeded to tell me about how he was going to become a vigilanty and start killing people who show signs of anti social behaviour. Just at that point a lad walked past with his cap on at a jaunty angle, just as he walked passed us he gobbed in the street. He obviously wanted everybody to know what a twat he was, that is the only reason I can think of for this discusting habbit. Sure if you are running or doing any sort of excercise it can be necsseary to spit, (I do it myself but always check to make sure nobody is around). There is no reason whilst walking down the street to do it. Bob annouced that this lad would be the first victim of his anti-social yobbo cull. Luckily we were out of ear shot of the lad. Anyway, I managed to persuade Bob to drink some water before going to bed.

Saturday it was really rainy which was a bit shit but it meant Bob didn’t have to work. I went and got my hair cut then we pootled down to Chris’s place in Oxfordshire. We were going out to a Japanese restaurant in Oxford for a a meal with Chris and Lynn and Chris’s brood of siblings, Dids the youngest brother, Rose and Kate who are the youngest and oldest sisters. I have always thought it was quite odd that they get on so well together. Rose and Kate actually live together.

Anyway, we had a few bevvies and waited for our taxi, and waited and waited. Chris rang them up and they hadn’t bothered sending it. So it came and picked us up an hour late so we missed our dinner reservation. Luckily the resaturant were really nice and saved the table for us. The taxi company refused to give us any sort of discount so an argument ensued. The Taxi driver got cross in the end and threw us out, about 2 minutes walk for the restuarant so we got the ride for free. Very odd. I am yet to hear whether the taxi company have done anything about this. We had nice dinner and then went and shot a comple of games of pool before going home and talking rubbish until the small hours.

We took Kale the dingo for a walk the next morning before going to a woodland fair. God you can tell we are getting old. A few years back we would have been at a music festival but now we go to woodland fairs which basically consisted of a load of wood turners. There were loads of birds of prey there too and the Herefordshire Owl trust who I had seen the weekend before in Hereford. I love owls so spent ages looking at them. The other birds of prey were fab too. The golden eagle took pride of place sitting on his big pearch, there was also a vulture, kestrel, loads more owls and a peregrin. I’m not sure how they persuade the big birds not to eat the small ones.

We then went for a nice roast before driving home.

Oddly annoyed

It’s Friday but I’m in a bit of a bad mood. For starters I have a bit of a cold coming which I probably made worse by running 6 miles last night.
Secondly I’m sooo busy at work I’m starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with it all.
And finally, this is an odd one. I have found out that a guy I went to school with died of a drug overdose last year. It’s no suprise really, he had been on the smack for a while. He had also been in prison a couple of times for nicking stuff to feed his habbit. I unfortunatly witnessed him getting arrested once. I didn’t know him very well. In fact he bareley spoke to me at school but I did see him around at my mates C house a few times, C was a bit of a dealer, nothing hard just hash and pills so I’m assuming that’s why he was hanging out there. It’s odd I feel so sad about it. I just think it’s a tragedy that nobody could stop him destroying himself. My school did have a few bad ones in my year. I’m not sure I would say he was one of them, but he did hang around with them. Oooh well sleep peaceful.

The mighty Fod

D’ya know I’m quite excited. It’s silly really but I have found out that somebody cool and vaguely famous was born in Hereford, (where I was born). Nobody cool or vaguely famous comes from Herefordshire really. Here is my list

1. Nell Gwyn – famous for selling oranges and shagging a king.
2. Beryl Reid – Don’t be fooled by the accent, she was born in the Fod
3. John Masefield – A poet from Ledbury. Has a school named after him in Ledbury
4. David Garrick – Also a poet, he had a ward named after him at the old Hereford hospital.
5. Fred West – Yep born in Much Marcle, so only just in Herefordshire but I’m claiming him so sod off Gloucestershire and make your own psychopaths. I also believe his first wife was located in a field in Much Marcle.
6. Elgars mum – we are pushing things a bit now but Elgar himself moved to Herefordshire and his music was inspired by it. Just a shame he was born in the other place, (Worcestershire)
7. Andy McNab. I don’t think he was born here so really shouldn’t count.
8. Mick Ralphs, Pete ‘Overend’ Watts and Dale Griffinf AKA Mott the Hoople. Also Stan Tippins the original singer was born in Sarnesfield and went to school with my parents. He became Motts tour manager after ‘not having the right look’ to continue being the vocalsit. Shame the management replaced him with someone who couldn’t really sing very well.
9. James Honeyman-Scott, Pete Fardon & Martin Chambers. AKA The Pretenders. The dude I mentioned above Stan became their tour manager too.
10. And this is the one I have only just discovered Frank Oz!! How cool is that. One of the original muppeteers. He was the voice of Miss Piggy and also Yoda from Star Wars. He directed and took part in loads of stuff with Jim Henson. He only lived in Herefordshire a few weeks but I’m sure it made him the man he is!! (I actually have no idea if he is a cider swilling inbred but if he is he’s got the Fod to thank)

That’s actually more than I was expecting. I have discovered that Beryl Reid and Frank Oz are from round these parts. I’m amazed they ever managed to escape. Most people don’t.

Nearly there

I am so glad it’s Friday. It has been a little hectic at work, and I suspect this will continue. I have no plans for the weekend at all. Bob will probably be working but if he isn’t he will be going to help his dad vaccinate the sheep against Blue Tongue as Herefordshire and Shropshire have now been put into the surveillance zone. If he goes to the farm I’ll probably go with him and might do a little run around the fields.

I want to suggest to Bob’s dad that he lets me grow some vines in one of the fields. The soil is certainly poor enough but whether the lower down fields are sheltered enough from the crazy wind that blows around the hill is another matter. Of course it will have to be colder weather grapes, so white wine, maybe Riesling. Seyval Blanc is the most popularly planted one but I like to be different. I best look into it.